Open Access Research Article

Epidemiological Characteristics of Hepatitis B Positive Patients in Oman between 2009 and 2019: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Salah T Al Awaidy1*, Khalid Al Naamani2, Gowda Sathyanarayana3, Abdullah AlKalban2, BR Kamath2, Siham Al Sinani3, Elias Said4, Heba Omer5, AlZahraa Al Mehrzi2 and Ozayr Mahomed6

1Office of Health Affairs, Ministry of Health, Muscat, Oman

2Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. The Armed Forces Hospital, Oman

3Oman Medical Speciality Board, Oman

4Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman

5Department of Endemic Medicine and Hepatology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt

6Department of Public Health Medicine, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban, South Africa

Corresponding Author

Received Date: July 23, 2021;  Published Date: August 09, 2021

Introduction

Introduction: The prevalence of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) in Oman was estimated to have been 2-7% prior to the introduction of vaccination. However, HBV remains a major concern among unvaccinated individuals, especially older adults.

Objective: The study aim is to describe the epidemiological characteristics of HBV positive patients at a specialized liver clinic at the Armed Forces Hospital, between January 2009 and December 2019. A retrospective cohort study was undertaken, and secondary data were obtained from electronic medical records.

Results: 593 patients with positive HBV serology were identified. Fifty-nine percent of patients were male, with a mean age of 42 years (SD: 10.05) compared to females (43 years, SD: 10.70). Eighty-five percent (492/580) of the patients were treatment naïve. Eighty-eight percent showed detectable HBV viremia. The median level of HBV DNA among chronic hepatitis BV patients who are HBeAg-positive was significantly higher: 1 884 847 IU/ml (IQR: 81662-486924145), as compared to the rest of chronic hepatitis BV patients: 339 IU/ml (IQR: 33.5-3366). Elevated ALT (≥ 40 IU/ ml) was found in 29% of the patients. liver abnormalities were detected by ultrasound in 28% (165) of patients. Treatment was introduced in 15% of patients.

Conclusion: The majority of HBV patients were seronegative for HB-Ag and were born before the vaccination era. Therefore, these patients with hepatitis B in dormancy do not need treatment, but regular monitoring and follow-up.

Keywords: HBV; Epidemiology; HBV DNA; HBe-Ag; Oman

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